Walker threw a live batting practice session against Kyle Seager and Dee Gordon in Tuesday's summer camp session, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports. "I feel good, my arm feels good. I like where I'm at, " Walker said. "It's usually a marathon to get ready and keep going, but it's almost like a sprint now. We have three weeks to get ready. Obviously we have to do it smart and listen to our bodies, but we don't have much time to get ready and going."
Walker was encouragingly hitting 90-93 mph with his fastball during the session, which was his first live BP of camp. The 27-year-old, who is on the comeback trail after reconstructive elbow surgery and a shoulder capsule issue wiped out much of his last two seasons, is set for a back-end rotation spot to open 2020. Walker was able to keep his arm in condition during the shutdown by building a garage gym in his home, playing catch regularly with a friend and eventually accessing the Mariners' spring training facility in Peoria, Arizona once it reopened in late May. The shortened 60-game season might be a silver lining for Walker, as it sets the right-hander up for a more gradual return to the mound after pitching just 14 regular-season innings since the beginning of the 2018 campaign.